Felindra's Fables
by Clare
Summary: A collection of Thunderian children's stories mentioned in "Storm Of Thundera". Felindra is the name of the Thunderian who, according to that fic, compiled these tales
1. The Foolish Son

_NOTE: These stories are mentioned in my fic "Storm Of Thundera"_

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The Foolish Son

A great many years ago, there lived a Puma Thunderian and his wife. The couple had three sons and three daughters and lived happily on Thundera with their children. The Puma and his wife, who was also a Puma, loved their offspring and they never wanted for anything, but there was one thing the children were not allowed to do. They were not allowed to go into one particular room in their parents' house.

This room had been kept locked since before any of the children were born and their parents would never tell them what was in there. If any of them asked, all their parents would say was: "There are some things best kept hidden."

But the couple's youngest son, Pumadro, was curious about the room. What could be in there that his parents didn't want him or his brothers and sisters to see? He badly wanted to know, but his parents, of course, wouldn't tell him and his brothers and sisters didn't know themselves. So the curiousity burned inside him until he could stand it no longer.

"I have to have a look in that room," he said to himself one day. "Just a quick look. I won't disturb anything."

Now, as well as being curious, Pumadro was also rather foolish. He did not realise that, when grown-ups tell you not to meddle with things you don't understand, they do it because they are worried you might be hurt. All he could see was a room he was forbidden to enter for reasons which had never been explained to him. So he slipped into his parents' room and stole the key to the room he was forbidden to enter. "I just want a look," he told himself. "I won't do any harm."

Making sure no-one was about, Pumadro made his way to the room and slid the key into the lock. For the first time in many years, the door was soon open. For a moment, Pumadro paused, wondering if the rest of his family had heard him opening the door. When he was sure they hadn't, he slipped into the room and, to his great disappointment, found it empty, except for a table with an old book on it.

"Is this all that's in here?" he wondered. But he had come this far, so he decided he might as well have a look at the book. He walked over to the table and picked the book up, but, before he could open it, his mother called to him, telling him it was dinner time. Pumadro decided the book would just have to wait and placed it back on the table. Then, he left the room, but he completely forgot to lock it up again.

And, almost as soon as Pumadro's back was turned, the book opened all by itself.

After dinner, Pumadro hurried back to the room. He could hardly wait to look at the book and find out what was in it. When he arrived in the room, he received the shock of his life. There was the book, floating in mid-air, its pages turning as if an invisible Thunderian was leafing through it. And, all around it, a brilliant red whirlwind swirled, growing larger and larger with each passing second.

Suddenly, the key Pumadro had stolen from his parents' room flew out of his pocket and was sucked into the whirlwind. Seeing this, Pumadro panicked; he knew their was no way he could make another and he also knew that he would be in terrible trouble if his parents found out what had happened. So he ran from the room and tried to close the door behind him, hoping that would stop the whirlwind from getting out. But he was not strong enough and was knocked to the floor as the whirlwind escaped from the room and began to cause havoc all over the house.

Pumadro chased after the whirlwind, watching as it sucked up his brothers' toy weapons and his sisters' dolls. All the while, it grew steadily larger and larger, until it was so large it could even suck up the furniture. Pumadro knew he had to stop it before it did too much damage, but he didn't know how and he dared not tell his parents because, if he did, they would find out he had disobeyed them. What was he going to do now?

Just then, his youngest sister, Catria, came running up to him. "Pumadro, have you seen my doll?" she asked. "I can't find her anywhere."

Pumadro _had_ seen Catria's doll - being sucked into the whirlwind. And he knew how much she loved her doll, so he told her what had happened. When he had finished, Catria looked at him angrily. "That was a very foolish thing to do," she scolded. "You know we're not allowed in that room. What do you suppose Mother and Father will do when they find out?"

Pumadro hung his head, feeling really bad for letting his curiousity get the better of him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'll find a way to get your doll back somehow. And all the rest of our stuff." But could he do it before the whirlwind became so large that it sucked up everything in the house?

Knowing they had little time to waste, Catria and Pumadro hurried back to the room where Pumadro had found the book. They arrived to find the book still floating in mid-air, its pages still turning as if of their own accord. But, now, it was glowing a brilliant crimson that lit up the whole room with red light. It even made Pumadro and Catria look as though they had turned completely red.

"Grab the book!" Catria called. "It might tell us how we can stop this!"

And Pumadro tried, but the book was out of his reach. So, since she was older and taller, Catria tried. She had to stand on tiptoe, but managed to grab the book and bring it down. It wriggled and tried to get airborne again, but she held on for grim life and managed to close it. She looked at the front cover, something Pumadro had not had time to do, and found that it was a book of spells.

"Then it must tell us how to stop this," said Pumadro. "Have a look, Catria."

Catria did that and, all the while, the magical whirlwind Pumadro had accidentally unleashed grew larger and larger. Now, even the doors and windows were being sucked up; there was very little time left. In the end, however, Catria found what she was looking for. She opened the book on the very last page and raised it above her head as she chanted:

"Winds of Felatta, heed my call  
Cease your power, one and all  
Return the things that you did take  
And everything as before please make."

Suddenly, the whirlwind appeared in the room. Seeing it, Pumadro panicked, thinking it was now going to suck himself and Catria up as well. But it didn't; instead, it was sucked into the book, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. In the same instant, Catria and Pumadro found themselves outside the room and Pumadro found himself holding the stolen key. "We'd better lock the door," said Catria. "We can't let Mother and Father find out we were in there."

Pumadro nodded and slid the key into the lock. He turned the key and, soon, the room was locked once more. Pumadro and Catria then hurried to return the key to their parents' room before it was missed. But, at that moment, their mother appeared. "Catria! Pumadro!" she called. "What are you doing there?! You've been told never to go near that room." Then, she saw the key in Pumadro's hand. "I hope you're not going to try and open that door," she said. "Because, if you are, it would be a very foolish thing to do. I'm going to tell you a story about something which happened before either of you were born."

And she began to tell her two youngest children a story about a Thunderian sorceress called Felatta, who had wanted to be the most powerful sorceress on all Thundera. So she had written every spell she could find in a notebook, not realising that the book was absorbing magic with each spell she wrote down. In the end, the book took on a life of its own and had to be locked up in a room in her house, never to see the light of day again. "And we are now living in Felatta's old house," the mother finished. "That room is the same room where she imprisoned the book. That is why you must never open that door."

Pumadro and Catria nodded to show that they understood and promised themselves that they would never tell their mother what had happened. And, from that day on, Pumadro was never again foolish enough to open the door to the forbidden room.


	2. The Tiger Maiden And The Sapphire Brooch

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The Tiger Maiden And The Sapphire Brooch

There was once a female Tiger Thunderian who came from one of the wealthiest families on Thundera. She had many expensive jewels, but the most precious among them was a brooch made from a single large sapphire mounted on silver. This brooch was so valuable that she never wore it and kept it in her jewelry case to be admired.

The Tiger woman had a daughter called Tigarina. More than anything, Tigarina wanted to wear the beautiful sapphire brooch just once, but her mother would never let her. "It's too precious," the mother would say whenever Tigarina asked to be allowed to try the brooch on. "It was a gift to one of our ancestors and it has been in our family ever since. I can't risk you losing it."

With that, she would close up her jewelry case and she and Tigarina would go and find something else to do.

The years passed and Tigarina grew into a beautiful young Tiger maiden. When her fifteenth birthday came around, her mother presented her with a box and bade her open it. Tigarina did so and there, nestling on a bed of black velvet, she saw the brooch she had so admired when she was a little girl. "I think you're old enough to have it now," her mother said, as Tigarina thanked her happily.

"I'll treasure it always," the Tiger maiden promised.

A few days later, a herald came to the house where Tigarina and her mother lived, bearing a message. That message was an invitation, asking Tigarina to come to a grand ball which was being held by a family who were so wealthy that their influence was second only to that of the Thundercats. This family, who were White Tiger Thunderians, had a son only a little older than Tigarina, who had been looking for a bride. So far, he had had no luck, so his parents decided to hold a ball and invite maidens from every wealthy family on Thundera.

When she heard this, Tigarina sent for her seamstress and told her to make her a gown of the richest, whitest satin on Thundera. It would have an overskirt of sheer material, which would be embroidered all over in dark blue silk thread. And Tigarina's only jewelry would be the sapphire brooch her mother had given her.

"You've been in your box too long," she would say to the brooch, holding it against herself without actually pinning it on. "It's time someone saw your beauty."

Soon, the night of the ball arrived. Dressed in her finery, Tigarina travelled to the grand house where the White Tiger youth and his family lived. And, pinned to her bodice, she wore the beautiful sapphire brooch, placed so that it caught the light whenever she moved. She could hardly wait until she arrived at the ball and everyone could see the beauty of her brooch.

But, unknown to her, the clasp on the brooch was faulty. This was one of the reasons her mother had never worn it, but she had never told Tigarina. So, as the Tiger maiden made her way towards the grand house, she had no way of knowing that her precious brooch, the one she had admired since she was a little girl, would fall off before the night was over.

Meanwhile, she entered the grand house and prepared to descend the stairs into the ballroom. As she stood at the top of the stairs, she gazed round at the ballroom filled with Thunderians of all breeds, all dressed in their finest clothes, and felt her heart pounding with excitement. And, at the bottom of the stairs, the White Tiger youth saw her and thought she was the most beautiful maiden on Thundera.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her, as she reached the bottom step.

"I would be honoured," she replied, taking his hand. "What is your name, by the way?"

"Silver," said the White Tiger youth. "And yours?"

"Tigarina."

"Tigarina," Silver repeated. "A lovely name for a lovely lady."

And so Silver and Tigarina danced with each other, both enjoying themselves more than they ever had before. But, in all the excitement, Tigarina did not notice that her brooch was coming unfastened. Then, during a fast dance, she heard something fall to the floor with a clatter, but she thought nothing of it. In fact, she was so caught up in the dancing, that she didn't notice her brooch had fallen off until the dance ended.

"Tigarina," said Silver, "where's your brooch?"

She looked down at herself and gasped. Her precious brooch was gone! It must have fallen off while she was dancing. And she had admired it so much. She could have wept, but she didn't because she knew that would not help her find her brooch. "It must have fallen off," was all she said. "We'll have to find it. I can't go home without it."

Silver agreed with her. "Attention, everybody," he said to the other guests. "This young Tiger Maiden has lost her brooch. But, if we all work together, we should be able to find it."

So all the party guests got down on the floor and began to look for Tigarina's lost brooch. The ballroom was very big, so it could take a long time to actually find the brooch, but they all wanted to help. Even Tigarina and Silver joined in the search, checking the floor for a tiny gleam of blue. But they found nothing and Tigarina began to wish she hadn't worn the brooch. What would her mother say when she found out she had lost it? If only she had checked the clasp was working!

Just then, however, she heard a shout from across the room. "I've got it!" She hurried over to see Silver's mother holding something in her hand - the beautiful sapphire brooch. "I found it under one of the tables," Silver's mother explained, handing the brooch to Tigarina. "The clasp must have come undone and it fell off while you were dancing." And she showed Tigarina that the clasp on the brooch was faulty. "You really should get it mended," she added.

"I will," said Tigarina. "And thanks."

For the rest of the ball, Tigarina left the brooch on a table near Silver's mother. She did not want to risk losing it again. So she spent the evening dancing with Silver, who, by the time the ball was drawing to a close, thought she was the most beautiful maiden on Thundera. As the clock struck midnight, signalling the end of the ball, he dropped to his knees and asked for Tigarina's hand in marriage.

"Of course I will," said Tigarina, kissing his hand.

And, one year later, Silver and Tigarina were married. The clasp on the beautiful sapphire brooch had been mended and it sparkled at Tigarina's breast as she stood beside her new husband.


	3. Felor, Cattali And The Witch

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Felor, Cattali And The Witch

There was once two young Leopard Thunderians called Felor and Cattali. They were brother and sister and they lived with their parents on Thundera. Near their house there was a dark forest and Felor and Cattali's parents always warned their children against going in there. They said that any children who ventured into this forest would never come out again.

But Felor and Cattali wanted to explore. So, when their parents weren't looking, they sneaked off to the forest and started walking among the trees. They walked, and walked, and walked. In the end, they walked so long that it was beginning to get dark. They knew then that they had to get home before their parents realised where they were.

"Come on," said Felor, who was much older than Cattali and should have known better than to take her into this forest. "Let's find the path." But the two children realised they had wandered too far into the forest and were now lost among the trees.

Little Cattali began to weep. "Oh, Felor!" she cried. "Whatever shall we do?" For it was getting dark and she had heard many terrible things about what lurked in this forest at night.

"Fear not, little sister!" said Felor. "We shall find a way out of here!" He took hold of Cattali's hand and they began to walk, hoping they would find the trail which led out of this dark and terrifying forest.

Cattali felt better knowing her brother was nearby. She did not doubt for one second that he would do what he had said and find the way out of this forest. But, before that could happen, the two children would face one more adventure.

As Felor and Cattali were walking along, they came to a clearing. And, in this clearing, there was a house. "Do you think anyone lives there?" asked Cattali.

"I don't know," replied Felor. "But, if anyone does, they might know the way out of here."

"Then let's go and knock on the door!" cried Cattali. And, before Felor could stop her, she ran up to the door and knocked. The door opened and an old Tiger woman with a kindly looking face appeared.

"Yes? What do you want?" she asked in a grumpy voice. But, on seeing Felor and Cattali, she smiled. "Children! How lovely to see you! I don't get many visitors this deep in the forest. Won't you come on in?"

Thinking this kindly old woman might be able to show them the way home, Felor and Cattali followed her without hesitation. But, as soon as the children were inside her house, the old woman cackled evilly. "Ha!" she cried triumphantly. "I'm a witch! I lie in wait for lost children and turn them into anything I like!" With that, she waved her walking stick and pointed it at Felor. There was a flash of light and Felor instantly vanished.

"Felor!" cried Cattali. "What have you done to him?!" she shouted at the witch.

"What I do to all brats who get lost in this forest - turned him into something," the witch replied.

Cattali's eyes filled with tears as she realised that this must be why her parents had always warned against going into this forest. But she stood her ground, staring at the witch to show she wasn't afraid. "Change him back!" she shouted.

But the witch shook her head. "Oh, I can't do that. But I will give you one chance to guess what I turned your brother into. Get it right and he'll be restored. Get it wrong and you'll be transformed as well."

Cattali paused to think. She knew she only had one chance to get this right. If she failed, if she guessed wrong, she would never see her parents again. She looked round the room, knowing that whatever Felor had been turned into must be something that hadn't been here a moment ago. But what could it be? What was in this room that hadn't been here when she and Felor first came in?

Then, it struck her. There was a chair over in the corner that she didn't remember seeing before. That must be what Felor had been turned into. "That chair," she said, pointing to it. "That chair is my brother."

The witch nodded and smiled. But, then, she laughed her evil laugh. "Hahaha! I lied to you! Did you really think I'd change your brother back just like that?! No, I mean for you to join him! You shall become the matching chair to that one!"

She raised her walking stick once more, but Cattali was too quick for her. Before the witch could cast her spell, Cattali dodged out of the way and grabbed a mirror from a nearby table. She held the mirror in front of her as the witch cast her spell and, as a result, the witch's magic was deflected right back at her. In the same instant, all the children she had transformed were restored to their true forms. A plate on the dresser became a little Lion girl, A mop turned back into a Lynx boy and many other Thunderian children were restored to their true forms. But, best of all, a chair which had stood in the corner moments before turned back into Felor.

"Felor!" Cattali cried, running over and hugging him.

Felor looked puzzled. "Cattali?" he asked. "What are we doing here? Who are all these other children?"

"It was a witch," Cattali explained. "She turned all of you into different things, but the spell's been broken now, so we can all go home."

And so, Felor, Cattali and all the other children began to look for a way out of the forest. It took a long time, but they eventually reached the place where Felor and Cattali had first entered the forest. "Look!" cried Cattali, pointing to the path ahead. "We're almost home, Felor!" And she and Felor, along with all their new friends, began to run down the path until they reached the house where Felor and Cattali lived.

"Mum! Dad!" Felor and Cattali called as they ran. "It's us! We're back!"

And their parents ran out of the house, delighted to see their children again. In fact, they were so delighted that they forgot to be angry with them for disobeying them and going into the forest. And, that night, Cattali told them all about the witch who turned children into objects and how she, Cattali had broken the spell. "I used a mirror to send her magic right back at her," she said, holding up another mirror to show what she had done.

Her mother smiled at her. "That was very clever. And now, maybe, children will be able to venture into that forest safely once more."

In time, all the children who had been freed from the witch's spell returned to their families, many of whom had given up hope of ever seeing them again. But what had happened to the witch?

Well, since she had been planning to turn Cattali into a chair, the deflected spell caused her to be turned into a chair instead. And they say that she remains a chair to this day.


	4. The Story Of Three Sisters

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The Story Of Three Sisters

Many years ago, there were three Thunderian sisters of the Jaguar clan. Jagra was the eldest of the three, followed by Jagalla, then the youngest sister, Jagani. Their parents were honest folk, but they were not wealthy and this was a source of much grief where the two older sisters were concerned.

"Why do all the other children have nicer things than us?" Jagra would demand, looking round at their shabby toys, which used to belong to other children.

"Why can't I have a new gown like everyone else?" Jagalla would beg when her parents told her she would have to go to a party in the same dress Jagra had worn the previous year.

Each time, the answer they received was the same. "I'm sorry, but we can't afford anything better."

But no matter how much their parents tried to explain, Jagra and Jagalla were never happy. They vowed that, one day, they would both be rich and then they could have all the nice things they could not have now.

"Why can't you be happy with what you have?" Jagani asked one day. Unlike her sisters, she did not care that her parents were poor and couldn't afford to buy them nice things. But, as usual, her sisters only laughed at her.

"Because what we have is a load of old tat!" Jagra shouted, picking up a battered old doll that had once belonged to her grandmother. "Look at this! It's old and ugly! I wish I had a brand new doll!"

Unknown to the three sisters, a small black-skinned creature was listening outside the window. That creature was a Wish Sprite and its job was to grant any and every wish uttered in its presence. So, as soon as it heard Jagra wish for a new doll, it clapped its hands and, as if by magic, the tatty doll she was holding vanished and a brand new one took its place. Jagra was delighted and couldn't wait to show her new doll to Jagalla.

"Where did you get that doll?" Jagalla asked when she saw Jagra's brand new doll.

"I don't know," Jagra replied. "I just wished for a new doll and - poof! - I had one."

"Well I wish I had a new doll too," said Jagalla. "And I want it to be even better than yours."

Now, the Wish Sprite had not gone away. It was still outside the window and, as soon as it heard Jagalla's wish, it clapped its hands again. At the same instant, Jagalla found herself holding a doll even bigger and more expensive-looking than Jagra's. Jagra and Jagalla smiled at each other, very excited.

"Do you know what this means?" asked Jagra, her eyes shining.

"Yes," replied Jagalla. "If we wish for something, we can have it. And I wish we were all rich!"

And, as soon as she spoke, the Wish Sprite clapped its hands and the house was filled with money. The sisters had never seen so much money in their lives. Now, their parents could never again tell Jagra and Jagalla they couldn't afford something. First, though, something would have to be done about their house, which was still the shabby place it had always been.

"I wish we lived in a grand house!" declared Jagalla.

And the Wish Sprite granted her wish. The simple home which the sisters shared with their parents disappeared and, in its place, appeared a grand mansion with marble stairs and ornaments of solid gold. Jagra and Jagalla ran from room to room, exclaiming with delight over all the beautiful new things they now had. And all because they had wished for it! They felt there was nothing they couldn't have.

All the while, Jagani had been quiet. She did not know what was going on here, but she didn't like it. Wishing for things and getting them was too easy; her grandmother had always taught her that, if you wanted something, you had to work for it. And she could already see that her sisters were getting greedy.

"Come on, Jagani!" Jagalla called to her. "Wish for something!"

"Er . . . no, thanks," replied Jagani. "Don't you think you ought to stop before you . . ."

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Jagra. "We're finally getting all the nice things we wanted. And I wish we had a whole room full of clothes," she added. And, in an instant, one of the rooms in the mansion was filled with beautiful clothes - velvet dresses, silk shirts, satin gowns - all the fine garments Jagra and Jagalla longed for but had never been able to have.

Jagra and Jagalla thought they could finally be happy now that they had so many nice things. But there are people who, no matter how much they have, always want more. And so it was with Jagra and Jagalla. The next day, they wished for an even bigger house with even grander things. And, the day after that, they wished for a house that was grander still. All the while, Jagani watched her sisters with concern, afraid that sooner or later their wishing would go too far.

Sure enough, her fears quickly came true and one of her sisters wished for something which even the Wish Sprite could not grant. On the third day since she and Jagalla started their wishing spree, Jagra wished that they could become Thundercats. And that was a wish too far. For no-one can become a Thundercat unless they are the child of a Thundercat or they prove worthy of the title - and these two greedy sisters were neither. So, as soon as Jagra uttered the words: "I wish we could become Thundercats", she and Jagalla were suddenly transformed into solid, unmoving statues.

When Jagani came in, she found her sisters standing still and lifeless. She touched both of them on their shoulders, but they didn't move. They were frozen into the positions they had been in when Jagra made her foolish wish. "What could have happened to them?" Jagani wondered out loud.

"They took their wishing too far," replied the Wish Sprite, which was hiding nearby.

"Wh - who's there?!" Jagani cried, startled.

At this, the Wish Sprite emerged from hiding and hovered before Jagani. "I am a Wish Sprite," it explained. "I am the one who's been granting all your sisters' wishes. But they got greedy and wished for something I could not grant them, so I turned them to stone."

Jagani looked at the Wish Sprite, then at the statues of her sisters. It was just as she had feared; Jagra and Jagalla had taken their wishing too far and had been punished for it. She thought it served them right, but then she thought of her parents. What would they think when they found out that two of their daughters had been turned to stone. "Is there any way to free them?" she asked the Wish Sprite.

"Yes," replied the Wish Sprite. "You must make a wish, not for yourself but for someone else. And you can't just wish for the spell on your sisters to be undone."

Jagani paused to think. How could she free her sisters from being statues if she couldn't wish for the spell to be undone? Then, it came to her - she could wish for all their other wishes to be undone. And, just to make sure nothing like this ever happened again, she could wish for them to be happy with things the way they were.

"I wish that everything was as it was before my sisters started wishing," she told the Wish Sprite. "And I wish my sisters were content with what they have."

The Wish Sprite clapped his hands and, in an instant, the statues of Jagra and Jagalla came back to life. In the same instant, the grand house the two sisters had wished for vanished and was replaced by the humble home they had always lived in. And the sisters were once more dressed in old clothes and had only old toys. When its task was done, the Wish Sprite vanished, leaving the three sisters behind.

And, from that day forth, neither Jagra nor Jagalla ever wished for anything again.


	5. The Curious Snarf

**The Curious Snarf**

There was once a young Snarf who was curious about absolutely everything. No matter what it was, he wanted to know about it. And he drove everyone mad by constantly asking questions from morning to night.

"Where does the sun go at night?"

"Why is the sky blue?"

"What makes water wet?"

How do plants grow?"

His parents did their best to answer his questions, but he always wanted to know more. And, because he always wanted to know more, he kept on asking questions. Soon, his mother grew so tired of it she lost her temper.

"Snarf! Will you stop pestering me?" she yelled when the curious young Snarf finally asked one question too many. "You do nothing but ask questions from morning to night!"

"But, if I don't ask questions, how can I find out about things?" asked the young Snarf.

But his mother only "hmmphed" in reply, before carrying on with her chores as if he hadn't spoken.

It so happens that, on the very same day, a great wizard came to Thundera, a wizard so wise that he knew the answers to every question. People were coming from all over Thundera to see him and, when the curious young Snarf heard about the wise old wizard, he decided to go and see him too. He travelled a very long way, but he finally arrived in the city where the wizard was staying.

The streets of the city were thronged with Thunderians of all ages, all of them hoping to see the wizard and ask him what they wanted to know. Now, Snarfs as we all know are small, so this curious young Snarf found it impossible to see over the heads of all the people, even when he balanced on his tail. He was very upset. Had he come all this way for nothing? Would he never get to ask the questions he so wanted to ask?

Every day, the Snarf tried his best to see the wizard. And, every day, he failed to catch even a glimpse. For, though the Snarf went to all the open-air gatherings the wizard held, he always ended up stuck at the back of the crowds, unable to see over the heads of those in front of him. He tried shouting to attract the wizard's attention, but he could never make himself heard.

Soon, it was the last day of the wizard's visit to Thundera and the young Snarf thought he had lost his chance to hear answers to his many questions. With a heavy heart, he prepared to go back home, but, just as he was about to set off, he met a little old man with a long white beard. This little old man was very little indeed, only slightly taller than the Snarf, and his beard was so long that it almost touched the ground.

"Good day to you, young Snarf," said the old man.

The Snarf bowed and looked at the old man. He was so short that the Snarf wondered if he too had been unable to see the wizard. If only there was a way to become taller, the Snarf thought to himself, he might have heard the answers to all the questions he longed to ask. Wait, maybe the wizard knew, but the Snarf did not know where to find him. And the wizard would soon be leaving Thundera, so the Snarf would never have another chance. He looked down and sighed with disappointment.

"What's the matter?" asked the old man.

"Snarf. I wanted to see the wizard," the Snarf said, sighing again. "But, because I'm so small, I couldn't see over the heads of the crowds. And now he's going away and I'll never have another chance. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him."

The old man began to laugh. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," he said, smiling at the young Snarf. "You see, _I_ am the wizard you wanted to see. And I will answer any three questions you have."

The Snarf could hardly believe it. He had expected the wizard to be a tall man with a long white beard, perhaps carrying a crystal ball with him. This little old man had the long white beard, but that was all. He was far from being tall and there was no sign of a crystal ball. "Wait," said the Snarf. "You mean _you're_ the wizard everyone's been talking about?"

"Indeed I am," said the wizard.

"Is that true?" asked the Snarf, still unable to believe that this little old man was really the wise old wizard he had come so far to see.

"Indeed it is," said the wizard.

"Are you really?" was the Snarf's next question.

"Indeed I am," the wizard said again. "I hope my answers will help you," he added as he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" the Snarf called after him. "You promised I could ask you three questions!"

The wizard turned around at the sound of the Snarf's voice. "Yes, I did," he replied. "You asked me three questions and I answered them. And now I must go and seek out others who need my wisdom."

"But those weren't the questions I wanted to ask!" The young Snarf was getting desperate. He had wanted to ask the wizard so many things. "Please! Just let me ask three more questions!"

But the wizard shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I only ever let anyone ask me three questions - otherwise, I couldn't share my wisdom with so many people. You have used up your three questions and you may not ask me any more." With that, he turned and walked away without saying another word. And, no matter how much the Snarf called after him, no matter how much the Snarf begged to be allowed to ask just one more question, the wizard did not look back.

The young Snarf wept with disappointment. He had thought the wizard would answer all the questions he wanted to ask, but it hadn't been like that. He had been allowed to ask only three questions and he had wasted them. Now, he would never have another chance. The wizard was leaving Thundera and might never come back again. And, even if he did, the Snarf knew it would be useless to go looking for him again. He had used up his three questions.

He decided to go home. But, just as he turned round, a voice called after him. "Hey! Wait!" He turned around to find himself face-to-face with the wizard. "Listen," said the wizard, "I may not be able to answer any more of your questions, but I can give you some advice. Just go to Snarf School, study hard and you'll soon learn what you want to know. Will you promise to do that?"

"I'll try," said the Snarf.

And so the curious young Snarf returned home and started going to Snarf School, where he learned the answers to many questions. And, though he often thought about the wizard, he never saw the little old man with the long white beard again.


End file.
